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 veggie
Registered: 07/25/04
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 Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise 
#9470657 - 12/21/08 12:34 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise
December 21, 2008 - theoaklandpress.com
HONOLULU — Hawaii public school teachers signed off on first-in-the-nation statewide random drug testing in exchange for pay raises, but now the state claims the educators are trying to take the money and run.
Since the teachers’ union approved the pact nearly two years ago, they’ve accepted the 11 percent boost in pay while fighting the random tests as an illegal violation of their privacy rights. No teacher has been tested.
The showdown over teacher drug testing arose from the highly publicized arrests of six state Education Department employees in unrelated drug cases over a six-month period. One, special education teacher Lee Anzai at Leilehua High School, pleaded guilty to selling more than $40,000 worth of crystal methamphetamine to an undercover agent.
None of the cases involved drug use in the classroom, and the teachers union argues there are only a few bad apples among the 13,000 teachers in the state’s single public school district.
The union says it didn’t consent to truly random drug testing in the contract, which says the parties “agree to negotiate reasonable suspicion and random drug and alcohol testing procedures.”
The union’s definition of “random” is limited to a pool of teachers who go on field trips, work with disabled children, are frequently absent or have criminal records.
“Random testing isn’t going to suddenly increase test scores,” said Mike McCartney, executive director for the Hawaii State Teachers Association. “This is a huge distraction from how to make our schools better.”
The union says it will agree to drug testing in cases where there’s a reason to suspect drug use. A failed drug test would result in suspension or termination.
The state government believes teachers are trying to wiggle their way out of the deal.
The issue is awaiting a ruling from the Hawaii Labor Relations Board. In the meantime, the Board of Education has refused to spend money for drug testing, at $35 per teacher, because its members say those dollars would be better used in the classroom.
“I can’t understand why any average Joe, anyone of reasonable mind would object to this. It’s good for the schools, teachers and state,” said Marie Laderta, director of the Department of Human Resources Development who negotiated the contract. “They’re just trying to get out of doing it.”
Only a handful of other school districts nationwide require random teacher drug testing of existing employees, many of them in Kentucky. The Hawaii State Teachers Association says only five school districts in the country have implemented random drug testing, but the National Education Association didn’t have a count of how many schools randomly test teachers.
In the Knott County school district in Kentucky, one-fourth of teachers have been randomly tested for drugs annually since 2004, when administrators who wanted to drug test students involved in extracurricular activities decided to hold teachers to the same standard.
“The teachers didn’t like the random part at first. Suspicionless testing is what they were concerned about,” said William Madden, director of pupil personnel for the seven-school, 2,570-student district. “It’s going real well. Everyone is accepting it.”
The Knott County testing started after a federal judge ruled that drug testing without suspicion of use had been upheld in a previous case in Knox County, Tenn. However, the Knox County case dealt with testing when teachers were hired rather than continuous, random testing of all teachers. Today, Knox County does not randomly test its existing teachers.
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 Coaster
Baʿal
 
Registered: 05/22/06
Posts: 33,501
Loc: Deep in the Valley
Last seen: 7 months, 17 days
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Re: Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise [Re: veggie]
#9471193 - 12/21/08 03:17 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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no point in testing teachers who are teaching fine.
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garfixas
Your Friend
Registered: 10/27/06
Posts: 95
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Re: Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise [Re: Coaster]
#9472547 - 12/21/08 11:31 AM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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“I can’t understand why any average Joe, anyone of reasonable mind would object to this. It’s good for the schools, teachers and state,” said Marie Laderta, director of the Department of Human Resources Development who negotiated the contract. “They’re just trying to get out of doing it.”
Wow, he must be a true supporter of peoples' right to privacy.  Just like the patriot act, people are just going to go along with it because if you don't then you are going to be under suspicion. I mean why not let the government and authorities know everything you are doing? Are you doing something illegal? No? Then you have nothing to worry about. I know that is how those conversations go. They can't go any other way. God damn bastards.
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"We are the facilitators of our own creative evolution." - Bill Hicks
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lumibles
Lurker
Registered: 04/23/08
Posts: 142
Loc: In the rain
Last seen: 2 years, 1 month
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Re: Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise [Re: garfixas]
#9473095 - 12/21/08 01:22 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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definitely Garfixas.
This part kinda bothers me:
“The teachers didn’t like the random part at first. Suspicionless testing is what they were concerned about,” said William Madden, director of pupil personnel for the seven-school, 2,570-student district. “It’s going real well. Everyone is accepting it.”
It just reeks of misuse. They didn't like their rights being taken away at first, but now they bah when we tell them to.
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Reality is a crutch for people who can't cope with drugs. ~Lily Tomlin
Did you know America ranks the lowest in education but the highest in drug use? It's nice to be number one, but we can fix that. All we need to do is start the war on education. If it's anywhere near as successful as our war on drugs, in no time we'll all be hooked on phonics. ~Leighann Lord
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Cannabischarlie
Yarry's Apprentice
Registered: 11/28/05
Posts: 12,386
Last seen: 21 days, 15 minutes
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Re: Teachers in Hawaii trade random drug testing for pay raise [Re: Coaster]
#9475489 - 12/21/08 09:14 PM (3 years, 5 months ago) |
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Quote:
Coaster said:
no point in testing teachers who are teaching fine.
Agreed. If the paperwork clearly stated random testing of everyone, no one would fight it. Glad they got the pay raise and "took the money and ran" so to speak.
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 we could all use a little more sunshine.
 yeah, she's funny and somewhat interesting. not a beauty queen, but not bad lookin. i'd feel quite honored to fuck janine garofalo. -tiny_rabid_birds
If you're actaully racist in real life though, you're literally a homosexual faggot.-StevenMichael
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